REU Site: Nanotechnology for Health, Energy and the Environment

This three year REU Site program at Stony Brook University will engage eight undergraduate students in multidisciplinary nanotechnology research experiences involving four departments in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering,) and will be administered by the University's Center for Inclusive Education (CIE). Providing real research experiences for undergraduates is a critical need for the successful education of the next generation of engineers and scientists. The research experiences and laboratories involved will provide research experiences for REU interns in all aspects of nanotechnology and nanomaterials development, including polymeric nanostructures for medical applications, computational nanostructure design, creation of catalytic surfaces for energy and environmental remediation, and development of nanostructured sensors. This collaboration will encourage the participation of students from underrepresented groups in research and graduate education opportunities and will also leverage the resources and networks of multiple departments effectively. The REU Site program includes both an Ethics Component and a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)component. The Principal Investigator will actively recruit students from a diversity of academic backgrounds with a significant number coming from institutions other than Stony Brook; promote recruitment at small regional colleges with limited research opportunities; and continue to take advantage of the contacts at historically black colleges and from universities in Puerto Rico to recruit students from underrepresented groups. This program provides a truly multidisciplinary experience which fully integrates research and education, an approach shown to enhance learning and motivation, as well as enhance recruitment and retention of students from a diverse background. Weekly journal clubs, research methods instruction, academic counseling and community building events promise to integrate these students into the scientific community with meaningful exposure also to the university/departmental culture of support that exists. Research results will be disseminated to the campus and local community, and to other scientists in the U.S. and worldwide.